• More than 1200 students participating
The 39th Summer Coaching Camp-2026, the annual sporting extravaganza of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) was inaugurated at Ispat Stadium on 5th May. Mr. T G Kanekar, CGM (TS & CSR) was the Chief Guest of the event and declared the camp open by hoisting the sports flag. Mr. Alok Behera, CGM (CCW) and Mr. P N Gantayat, veteran sportsperson were the Guests of Honour. Present on the occasion were other Officials of RSP. Notably, 1255 students are participating in the 21 daylong event that would conclude on 25th May.
Mr. Kanekar lauded the increasing enthusiasm for sports among the youth and urged the participants to adopt discipline, commitment, and a strong spirit of teamwork, emphasizing that these qualities are not only vital for excellence in sports but also for building a successful and well-rounded personality in life.
Later the Chief Guest and other Senior Officials were introduced to the officials and the participants of the camp.
Earlier, Mr. Raghunandan Padhi, Deputy Manager (Sports) delivered the welcome address and coordinated the event. The inaugural ceremony was anchored by Mr. Anil Mallick from Silicon Steel Mill.
The participants will learn the nuances in 16 streams sports namely Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Cycling, Football, Hockey, Kabaddi, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Weight lifting & Power Lifting and Yoga. Lawn Tennis and Archery are the new games added this year. Expert coaches in various disciplines are imparting the training. The multi-location camp is being organized at the Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium, Ispat Stadium, Ispat Basketball complex, Ispat Indoor Stadium, Indo -German Club, and the Chess Hall of Ispat Stadium.
The Summer Coaching Camp, which began in 1986 with modest participation across a few disciplines, has significantly expanded over the years in both scale and impact. It has been instrumental in nurturing numerous athletes who have gone on to achieve national and international recognition and continues to serve as a platform for discovering and developing emerging sports talent.
